Scene 2

Mytilene. A room in a brothel.

(Pander; Bawd; Boult; First Pirate; Second Pirate; Third Pirate; Marina)

The Pander (pimp) sends out Boult to find fresh flesh. Boult returns with Marina and the pirates, who agree to sell her to the brothel for a thousand pieces. Boult is now sent to advertise the fact that the brothel has a virgin to auction off. Marina is horrified, and cannot believe that the Bawd, a woman, would treat a girl thus; the Bawd is unsympathetic. Boult returns to report that their customers are very excited at the news. Marina calls on Diana to help her save herself. (71 lines)

Enter the three bawds: Pander, Bawd, and Boult.

PAND.PANDER

Boult!

BOULT.BOULT

Sir?

PAND.PANDER

Search the market narrowly, Mytilene is full of gallants. We lost too much money this mart by being too wenchless.

BAWD.BAWD

We were never so much out of creatures. We have but poor three, and they can do no more than they can do; and they with continual action are even as good as rotten.

PAND.PANDER

Therefore let’s have fresh ones, what e’er we pay for them. If there be not a conscience to be us’d in every trade, we shall never prosper.

BAWD.BAWD

Thou say’st true. ’Tis not our bringing up of poor bastards—as I think, I have brought up some eleven—

BOULT.BOULT

Ay, to eleven, and brought them down again. But shall I search the market?

BAWD.BAWD

What else, man? The stuff we have, a strong wind will blow it to pieces, they are so pitifully sodden.

PAND.PANDER

Thou sayest true, there’s two unwholesome, a’ conscience. The poor Transylvanian is dead that lay with the little baggage.

BOULT.BOULT

Ay, she quickly poop’d him, she made him roast-meat for worms. But I’ll go search the market.

Exit.

PAND.PANDER

Three or four thousand chequins were as pretty a proportion to live quietly, and so give over.

BAWD.BAWD

Why to give over, I pray you? Is it a shame to get when we are old?

PAND.PANDER

O, our credit comes not in like the commodity, nor the commodity wages not with the danger; therefore if in our youths we could pick up some pretty estate, ’twere not amiss to keep our door hatch’d. Besides, the sore terms we stand upon with the gods will be strong with us for giving o’er.

BAWD.BAWD

Come, other sorts offend as well as we.

PAND.PANDER

As well as we! Ay, and better too; we offend worse. Neither is our profession any trade, it’s no calling. But here comes Boult.

Enter Boult with the Pirates and Marina.

BOULT.BOULT

Come your ways, my masters. You say she’s a virgin?

1. PIRATE.FIRST PIRATE

O, sir, we doubt it not.

BOULT.BOULT

Master, I have gone through for this piece you see. If you like her, so; if not, I have lost my earnest.

BAWD.BAWD

Boult, has she any qualities?

BOULT.BOULT

She has a good face, speaks well, and has excellent good clothes; there’s no farther necessity of qualities can make her be refus’d.

BAWD.BAWD

What’s her price, Boult?

BOULT.BOULT

I cannot be bated one doit of a thousand pieces.

PAND.PANDER

Well, follow me, my masters, you shall have your money presently. Wife, take her in, instruct her what she has to do, that she may not be raw in her entertainment.

Exeunt Pander and Pirates.

BAWD.BAWD

Boult, take you the marks of her, the color of her hair, complexion, height, her age, with warrant of her virginity, and cry, “He that will give most shall have her first.” Such a maidenhead were no cheap thing, if men were as they have been. Get this done as I command you.

BOULT.BOULT

Performance shall follow.

Exit.

MAR.MARINA

Alack that Leonine was so slack, so slow!

He should have strook, not spoke; or that these pirates,

Not enough barbarous, had not o’erboard thrown me

For to seek my mother!

BAWD.BAWD

Why lament you, pretty one?

MAR.MARINA

That I am pretty.

BAWD.BAWD

Come, the gods have done their part in you.

MAR.MARINA

I accuse them not.

BAWD.BAWD

You are light into my hands, where you are like to live.

MAR.MARINA

The more my fault

To scape his hands where I was like to die.

BAWD.BAWD

Ay, and you shall live in pleasure.

MAR.MARINA

No.

BAWD.BAWD

Yes indeed shall you, and taste gentlemen of all fashions. You shall fare well, you shall have the difference of all complexions. What do you stop your ears?

MAR.MARINA

Are you a woman?

BAWD.BAWD

What would you have me be, and I be not a woman?

MAR.MARINA

An honest woman, or not a woman.

BAWD.BAWD

Marry, whip the gosling, I think I shall have something to do with you. Come, you’re a young foolish sapling, and must be bow’d as I would have you.

MAR.MARINA

The gods defend me!

BAWD.BAWD

If it please the gods to defend you by men, then men must comfort you, men must feed you, men stir you up. Boult’s return’d.

Enter Boult.

Now, sir, hast thou cried her through the market?

BOULT.BOULT

I have cried her almost to the number of her hairs, I have drawn her picture with my voice.

BAWD.BAWD

And I prithee tell me, how dost thou find the inclination of the people, especially of the younger sort?

BOULT.BOULT

Faith, they listen’d to me as they would have hearken’d to their father’s testament. There was a Spaniard’s mouth wat’red, and he went to bed to her very description.

BAWD.BAWD

We shall have him here tomorrow with his best ruff on.

BOULT.BOULT

Tonight, tonight. But, mistress, do you know the French knight that cow’rs i’ the hams?

BAWD.BAWD

Who, Monsieur Verollus?

BOULT.BOULT

Ay, he, he offer’d to cut a caper at the proclamation, but he made a groan at it, and swore he would see her tomorrow.

BAWD.BAWD

Well, well, as for him, he brought his disease hither; here he does but repair it. I know he will come in our shadow, to scatter his crowns in the sun.

BOULT.BOULT

Well, if we had of every nation a traveller, we should lodge them with this sign.

BAWD.BAWD

To Marina.

Pray you come hither a while. You have fortunes coming upon you. Mark me: you must seem to do that fearfully which you commit willingly, despise profit where you have most gain. To weep that you live as ye do makes pity in your lovers; seldom but that pity begets you a good opinion, and that opinion a mere profit.

MAR.MARINA

I understand you not.

BOULT.BOULT

O, take her home, mistress, take her home. These blushes of hers must be quench’d with some present practice.

BAWD.BAWD

Thou sayest true, i’ faith, so they must: for your bride goes to that with shame which is her way to go with warrant.

BOULT.BOULT

Faith, some do, and some do not. But, mistress, if I have bargain’d for the joint—

BAWD.BAWD

Thou mayst cut a morsel off the spit.

BOULT.BOULT

I may so.

BAWD.BAWD

Who should deny it? Come, young one, I like the manner of your garments well.

BOULT.BOULT

Ay, by my faith, they shall not be chang’d yet.

BAWD.BAWD

Boult, spend thou that in the town. Report what a sojoumer we have; you’ll lose nothing by custom. When nature fram’d this piece, she meant thee a good turn; therefore say what a paragon she is, and thou hast the harvest out of thine own report.

BOULT.BOULT

I warrant you, mistress, thunder shall not so awake the beds of eels as my giving out her beauty stirs up the lewdly inclin’d. I’ll bring home some tonight.